Love is Strange
by MusicFreak2k14
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is the new girl at Fairy Tail High School. Natsu Dragneel is a very obscure guy. What will happen between the two? AU. Mainly Nalu, with some others as well – Gruvia, Jerza etc. Told from various characters' perspectives. M for language and dark themes
1. Prologue

**Love is Strange**

A Fairy Tail romance story

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, nor do I own its characters

Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is the new girl at Fairy Tail High School. Natsu Dragneel is a very obscure guy. What will happen between the two? AU. Mainly Nalu, with some others as well – Gruvia, Jerza etc. Told from various characters' perspectives. T for language

Chapter 1: Prologue

At first, I was pretty excited about going to Fairy Tail High School. I'd heard a lot about it from my friends who had moved to go there. Now it was my turn. Oh, my name is Lucy Heartfilia, by the way and I was entering my sophomore year. I walked into school, feeling nervous but also very excited. I quickly found my friends: Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden, and Juvia Lockser.

"Hey guys," I said brightly.

"Hey Lucy," they replied with equal enthusiasm. "Ready to experience Fairy Tail High?"

"You know it," I beamed. Just then, their boyfriends found them. Jellal Fernandes was with Erza, Gajeel Redfox with Levy, and Gray Fullbuster with Juvia. I'd never met then, though I'd heard about them from the girls and was told they were nice. I was a little skeptical about that, to tell the truth.

"Hello Lucy," Jellal said politely.

"Hey," Gajeel grunted.

"Hey Lucy," Gray said with the slightest trace of coldness.

Aside from Jellal, their greetings irritated me ever so slightly but I forced myself to stay calm and polite. I didn't want to give a bad first impression. First impressions _were_ the most important, right?

"How are you," I asked, trying to give off that good first impression.

"I'm fine, thanks," Jellal said.

"Meh, okay," Gajeel replied tersely.

"Same," Gray said flatly.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable at the awkward situation, I turned to the girls and said, "So when do classes start?"

Just then the bell rang. "Right now, Lu-chan," Levy said.

I looked at my schedule. "Ugh," I groaned, "Math."

"Come on, I'll show you the way." Levy was in all of my classes, at least for first semester. She gave Gajeel a quick hug before we left.

"See ya, shrimp," Gajeel said with a slight smirk.

"Honestly, what do you see in that guy," I asked the bluenette. "He's so cold."

"In Gajeel?" I nodded. "He's just quiet. Once you get to know him like I have, you'll find out that he's really quite nice."

"Really then? And you don't mind him calling you "shrimp?""

"I did at first but I got used to it." She smiled at me. "But enough about me. What about you? Any progress in the game of love?" She giggled at me.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Nothing's happened."

"Aw come on. I'm sure _something's_ happened. I'm sure there's _some_ guy who you're interested in."

"Nope," I said. "None at all." Little did I know that would change in about five minutes.

As we walked into math, the first thing I noticed was the size of the class. It was very small, with about a dozen people including the two of us. Then I noticed _him._ It was a tall guy with a muscular build. That wasn't the interesting part, though. What caught my attention was the guy's hair. It was pink! I'd never seen anyone who had pink hair. We had assigned seats and I was next to Levy so I whispered, "Who's the guy with the pink hair?"

"Oh that's Natsu Dragneel. He's the class clown," she replied, stifling a giggle.

"Is that his natural hair color?"

"I think so," Levy said. Reading my thoughts, she continued, "I've never heard of or seen a person with naturally pink hair either. But it's kinda cute, don't you think?"

"I suppose," I said slowly, looking at him. Natsu himself was honestly pretty cute. Like I said, he had a muscular build, as well as a somewhat handsome face, and an amazing white smile. "I suppose he's kinda cute." Levy giggled. "What's he like?"

"He's goofy, easygoing, and really fun. Although he is kinda ignorant but he told me that it's honest ignorance. See, Natsu was abandoned by his parents on a trip in a forest. He lived there for a long time until a traveler found him and took him in. He didn't really know anything about civilization so he's kinda clueless. Give him a chance though, as he's a very nice guy."

At the end of class, Natsu came over to us. "Hey Levy," he said. "Who's that?"

"Hey Natsu. This is my friend Lucy. She just started school here. She came from the same school I did."

"Hi Lucy," he said. He was noticeably more timid. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Natsu," I said. "Your name means summer, right?"

"Uh yeah, why?"

"Any idea why you got named that?"

He smiled, a wide toothy grin that made my heart flutter just a bit. "I was born on June 21, the start of summer. I don't remember much of my life before my foster dad took me in but I remember a birthday party in the summer for me. It's really fuzzy though. But that's the story of my name."

"Oh, that's cool," I said.

"Yeah, isn't it?" He scratched the back of his head. "Well I-I gotta go. See you later." He darted off to his next class.

"Is he always so shy around new people?"

"Yeah. Probably because of his past. He was all alone and suddenly a strange man came in and took him in. He's probably been affected by it."

"Poor guy," I said sincerely. "I can't imagine being abandoned like that. It must have been terrible."

"Try more like absolutely horrible," Levy replied as we walked to our next class. "I was his first friend and he was terrified of me when we met as kids. It took me so long to get him to open up."

"How did you meet him?"

"We met at camp." Levy smiled, as if reminiscing happily about it.

"_Hi," a young Levy said cheerfully. "I'm Levy. What's your name?"_

_A young Natsu trembled, afraid of his surroundings and the current situation. It was hard for him to meet new people considering that he'd been abandoned then found and raised by a stranger. "N-Natsu," he managed. "I'm Natsu."_

_Levy smiled. "That's a nice name. It means summer, doesn't it?" Natsu nodded hesitantly. "What's wrong, Natsu?"_

_He darted away from her suddenly, leaving her very confused and more than a little upset. She wondered what she had done wrong._

"He ran off on me and I didn't see him for the rest of the day."

They had history class then Levy continued the story.

_The next day, Levy saw Natsu again, sitting alone at a table, drawing something. He looked as scared as yesterday so she decided to try to cheer him up. "Hi Natsu," she said carefully. "Did I do something wrong yesterday?"_

"_Huh," he said nervously._

"_You ran away from me after you told me your name. Did I do something wrong?"_

"_N-no," the young boy replied shakily. He bit his lip nervously._

"_Then why did you run away?"_

"_I…"_

"_Are you scared of me? Cuz if you are, you don't have to be. I don't bite." She smiled at him, trying to show him that she was a friend._

"_It's hard…to say," he admitted._

_She decided to try a different idea. "What's that," she asked, pointing at the drawing._

"_T-this? It's just a drawing of a dream I had last night." He hesitantly slid the paper towards her and she took it carefully. It was a drawing of some dragons flying through the sky._

"_Why were you dreaming about dragons?"_

"_My dad told me a bedtime story about them and I guess I dreamed about them. I wanted to draw it."_

"_I like this," Levy said, admiring the drawing. "You're good at drawing."_

"_T-thanks," he said shyly. "I still need to color it more."_

"_Can I see it again when it's done?"_

"_O-okay."_

_She smiled at him. "I like you, Natsu."_

"_Y-you do?"_

"_You're not like the others. They're too loud. They talk too much. You're quieter. I like that. And you're good at drawing. They aren't." She giggled._

"_Thanks…" He couldn't remember her name._

"_My name's Levy," she reminded him._

_He smiled shyly. "Thanks, Levy." It was time to go home. "See you tomorrow," he asked._

_She nodded. "Yeah. See you tomorrow, Natsu."_

"Natsu became more and more open as the days went on," Levy told Lucy. "In the fall, I found out he went to the same school as me and our friendship grew stronger. He began to get more comfortable around me and eventually told me about his past."

"_Natsu," Levy asked, "What happened to your parents?"_

"_Why do you want to know that," he asked._

"_I'm just curious."_

_He sighed. 'Of course she's curious,' he thought. "Promise not to tell?"_

"_Promise," she repeated._

_He began to tell his tale. "I was a baby and my parents decided to go on a trip in the forests west of here. It was amazing. Big green trees and lots of animals everywhere. My parents," he choked out, beginning to tear up, "My parents left me in that forest. I had to learn to live off of the plants and animals around me, learn to survive. I watched the animals. I ate things they ate that didn't make them sick. I learned to how to make a house from sticks and leaves and anything else I could find in the forest. I had to learn to make things that would help me survive – things to gather and keep food, things to hunt with, all sorts of things. I lived like that for two years, my only other things a letter my parents wrote with my name on it and some pictures. I knew the pictures were me because I'd see my reflection in the water when I drank and it looked like the baby in the pictures, only older. I didn't know how to read but I knew my name so I kept the letter, hoping to one day be able to read it. One day, a man found me in the forest. He had a backpack like ones my parents had so I knew he was a traveler. He took a look at what was around me and got me to go with him."_

"_How?"_

"_He had food in his bag, wonderful food. He told me that if I went with him, I could get more. I nodded my head yes and he took me home with him. I didn't know how to talk but I could understand some of what he said so I went. He took me to the city where he lived, which is where we are. He took care of me. He didn't have a family. He just lived alone. He taught me how to read, write, and talk, but not much else. I didn't see him much, actually. He worked a lot. He'd come home with money so we were okay."_

"_Is that why you were so shy? Because of that incident when you were younger?"_

"_Yeah. I still don't see Dad much but it's okay because I know he loves me. Why else would he take care of me, right?"_

_Levy smiled. "Yeah. I hope you get to meet your real parents one day, Natsu."_

"_Me too."_

"_What was in the letter?"_

"_They said that they didn't have the money to take care of me but didn't want to put me in an orphanage. They wanted me to be strong and be able to do things myself like my real dad so they left me in that forest. They said they knew I'd be okay."_

"_They were right," Levy said with a smile._

"Wow," Lucy said. "I feel so bad for him. That's tough. He didn't deserve that."

"Yeah. He told me that he still thinks about them."

"How does he feel about his real parents?"

"He told me he doesn't hate them. He now understands why they did what they did. He's grateful because he knows he could live in the wilderness if something bad happened to him out there."

Lucy digested all of this information and suddenly felt even more grateful for the good life she had.


	2. Nervous

Chapter 2: Nervous

(A/N) Whoa, 4 follows already! That's fast. And in response to richgirl555cub's review, thanks a lot. I do try to use proper mechanics as much as possible (with the exception of dialogue, in which case I try to be as realistic as possible)

_Natsu's perspective_

I looked at her, immediately taken by her beauty. She had a face more beautiful than any I'd ever see. Her hair stopped just under her shoulders. She seemed nice too. I figured that if she was friends with Levy, she could be my friend too, eventually. _I just need to hope I can be less shy around her_. I was worried about that. I knew my shyness would be a problem. After all these years, I still had so much trouble when meeting new people and making new friends.

I found out that the new girl Lucy was in my math class and science class. _This might be my chance. Maybe for the first time ever, I can start a conversation with someone._ I was terrible at that. Usually, I was the one who answered in a conversation, not the one who started it or really asked any of the questions.

In my science class, my teacher, Mr. Makarov, asked Lucy to introduce herself and tell the class a little about herself.

"Hi," she said, somewhat nervously. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia and this is my first day at Fairy Tail High School. Um…" she paused, clearly thinking of what to say. "I like to write and hope to have one of my novels become published and well-known someday. I also like spending time with my friends."

I sat there, entranced by her voice, which I thought was like an angel's. Luckily for me, it just so happened that Mr. Makarov put us in groups for an in-class assignment and Lucy was in my group, along with Levy.

"Hi guys," I said nervously. "How's it going?"

"Hey Natsu," Levy said happily. "I'm good."

"Hi Natsu," Lucy said. "I'm alright. What about you?"

"Meh," I replied. "Bored."

"That's unusual. You're never bored, Natsu."

I shrugged. "First time for everything, right?" I managed a shy smile.

"You three," Mr. Makarov barked at us, "Get to work!"

We immediately started on our assignment and I was just trying to make it out alive. I felt so awkward and as if I'd made a bad impression on Lucy. _Curse my shyness_, I thought. I just wished I could rip up my shyness and talk to them about things other than school.

Levy talked to me at the end of class. "Hey Natsu, is something bothering you? You were awfully quiet today."

"It's her, Levy," I said.

"What do you mean, her? Lucy?" I nodded hopelessly. "What about her?"

"She seems so nice and I want her to be my friend but I'm so scared. I feel like I made a bad first impression on her."

She smiled at me softly. "It's ok, Natsu. I'll help you out. Just like old times. Anything for a friend. I think you would get along well with her."

I sighed in relief. "Thanks a lot, Levy."

_Lucy's perspective_

"Hey Levy," I said to my blue-haired friend. "What took so long?"

"Natsu wanted to talk to me."

"About what?"

She looked like she was thinking before she said, "You, Lucy."

"What? Why did he want to talk about me?" I was utterly confused.

"He wants to be your friend but he's so shy and scared that he didn't leave a good first impression."

I felt sympathy for the pink-haired boy. "Well I'll be sure to tell him that it's okay then. I like him. He's definitely better than the others I met this morning."

"Well that's good. He's a sensitive guy. Just be careful when you talk to him. He gets upset easily as well as being shy."

"Poor guy," I said. "Well I'll definitely keep that in mind."

"Lucy, what do you think of Natsu?"

"I think he's sweet, even if he's really shy. He's a lot better than some of the guys I've seen today."

"Yeah. He's definitely different in a good way," Levy replied.

"He is. I have a feeling that he and I are going to become very good friends in the future."

The next day, I saw Natsu in the hall as the lunch bell rang. I decided to go talk to him. "Hi Natsu," I said to him. "What's up?"

He turned around and saw me. I noticed that he got visibly tense. "Oh, hi Lucy. I'm okay. You?"

"Been better. Hey, I wanted to talk to you. Levy told me about yesterday. I want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. You gave off a good first impression. You seem way nicer and more decent than a lot of the guys I've seen around here. Too many of them are perverts. You're different from them, more decent. I like you."

"Y-you do," he said hesitantly. He instantly remembered meeting Levy all those years ago as a young boy.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "I just want you to know that you don't have to feel nervous around me. I don't bite."

_Natsu's perspective_

I felt an unfamiliar feeling in my heart when I saw her smile. Lucy's words then hit me like a tidal wave. _She sounds just like Levy did, _I thought. _She knows my story. Maybe I __**can **__trust her._

A cynical voice in my head said _be careful. You don't know this girl. Bad things could happen._

_Well she's just like Levy and Levy's my friend. I don't see why Lucy should be any different._

"Hey! Natsu," Lucy said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Natsu, are you okay," she asked.

"W-what," I asked. I could feel sweat on my hands and the back of my neck.

"You seem upset. Talk to me. What's the matter? Is it something I said?" _Yes_, I thought.

Instead, I put the most convincing smile I could and said, "Nope! Everything's okay. I'm just tired. I'm okay."

"Okay, if you're sure," Lucy said, clearly not believing me one bit. "Just know that you can talk to me whenever you want to. Give me your phone." I took my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it before handing it to her, despite my mind screaming at me to keep it away. "There you go," she said after a little while. "Now you can text me whenever you want to talk, okay?"

"Thanks, Lucy," I said numbly. We then went our separate ways.

xxx

(A/N) There's chapter two. I know Natsu is OOC. That is intentional for the plot's purposes. I hope you all enjoyed this. Please review as feedback means a lot to me.  
What will Lucy say about Natsu's behavior? Will he open up to her? Stay tuned to find out


	3. Pain

Chapter 3: Pain

(A/N) Wow, now seven follows? Holy crap. I didn't think it would be considered good enough to have so many follows so quickly. I feel honored.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this plot, and any OC's that might be added

Warning: potentially triggering material ahead

xxx

_Lucy's perspective_

As I went home that day, I couldn't help but feel a little upset. Natsu was clearly not okay. I could see it in his eyes. I knew that he was upset. I thought about it for the rest of the day. Then it hit me. I had probably triggered some memories with my words. Upon realizing that I'd used almost the same words as Levy did all those years ago, I felt like a total idiot. _Now I need to apologize to him. I should have worded it better._ I sent a text to Levy. _Hey Levy, can you give me Natsu's phone number? I need to talk to him._

When I got the number I needed, I dialed it. "Lucy," he said in a confused tone, "How did you get my phone number?"

"I asked Levy for it. I need to talk to you, Natsu. I'm sorry I upset you earlier today. I shouldn't have used the words I did. Levy told me about your past. I shouldn't have echoed her. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" There was silence. "Natsu?"

"I-I need some time to think," he said. "I'll call you back later when I'm ready to talk."

"Okay," I said. "Bye then."

"Bye." The line went dead.

I waited anxiously for Natsu to talk to me again all day. It was 11 pm and I was still awake, hoping for something. Eventually, I succumbed to drowsiness and fell asleep.

_Natsu's perspective_

After Lucy called, I cried my eyes out. Lucy did know my story. I couldn't hide my pain any longer. _Now she'll know that everything she's heard about me is all an act._ I decided not to call. I wasn't ready to tell her. I cried some more because I figured that I'd just blown my chance of making a new friend or getting a girlfriend.

Then the demons in my head began speaking to me. _See what happened? You aren't fit for love if you can't even make friends. You're worthless and pathetic. You don't deserve to live. You can't even tell her the truth. What a coward._ It was torturous yet I could do absolutely nothing about it. I was still crying as I blacked out for the night. _I'm sorry Lucy_ was the last thought I had before my eyes finally closed.

The next day, I approached Lucy cautiously during a free period. "Natsu," she said, coming up to me. "I was worried about you last night when you didn't respond. What's wrong?"

"Lucy, stay away from me," I said, my heart shattering into a million pieces as I said it. I couldn't look at her, instead gazing at the floor. "I'm living a lie. I don't deserve to be your friend." I turned my back and began to walk away with tears threatening to spill down my face. _Well now, we didn't know you'd have it in you _my demons sneered at me. _But you told her far too late. That doesn't make anything any better._ I felt Lucy's hand tug on mine but I shook her off. "Go away, Lucy. It's better for you to stay away."

"Natsu," she whispered. I only heard it because of my keen hearing. "Natsu, I know the truth. I want to help you." I stopped dead in my tracks as I heard from her the one sound I had feared most: a sniffle. "Let me help you."

I still couldn't look at her so I spoke with my back to her. "You can't help me. I'm too far into it to be saved. This is a war between me and myself. You can't help me. If I get better, I need to figure it out alone." Suddenly, I ran away, ignoring her pleas, not wanting to see her tears. I also didn't want her to see mine. _I'm sorry Lucy. You deserve better._ When I had gotten far enough away, I rushed into a bathroom, slumped against the wall, and cried my eyes out. Everyone would know the truth very soon and I was about to become a target of mass ridicule. My popularity would be gone in an instant as soon as people heard my story. As the depression got worse, I had the sudden urge to cut. I took out the case that held my emergency blade that I kept in my pocket. I didn't want accidental cuts on my leg, lest I have unexplained blood trickling down my legs. My hands trembled as I opened the case and took out the blade. I rolled up my left sleeve, revealing to myself all the old cuts that I'd made on it. Some of them were as much as year and a half old from when I had been suicidal, a time when I cut much deeper into my skin to usher out as much blood as I could.

With my hands still trembling violently, I lifted the blade to my arm and ran it across several times in quick strokes, hissing as it cut my skin open and made blood flow out. The cuts were much more jagged than usual due to my tears blinding me. _I won't ever be able to stop, _I thought. I'd been a cutter for two years, hiding it from everyone with long-sleeved shirts that hid my arms. If the scars were discovered, I cut my shoulder. I was a mess and I knew it. I was a soldier in a long and brutal war with myself and I was losing badly. _It's over. It's all over._

I quickly cleaned the blade, taking care to not cut my fingers or hands, dried the wounds, rolled down my sleeves, and went to my next class. Little did I know how long I had been in the bathroom. I made it into the classroom just as the bell rang. My teacher, Mr. Conbolt, glared at me and I knew I had come much too close to another detention. I'd gotten many detentions for this reason – tardiness from depression and resulting cutting in the bathroom – and it was a wonder I had never been suspended longer than a few days at a time. I tried to pay attention in class, considering this was my favorite subject – history – but I just couldn't. I felt so tired and ended up dozing off during the lecture. The next thing I knew, I was jolted awake by a splash of cold water and Mr. Conbolt's stern voice. "Detention, Mr. Dragneel," he said. "See me after school today." My eyes were suddenly wide as I realized what was happening.

I nodded my head. "Yes, Mr. Conbolt," I said shamefully. At that moment, my emotions hurt much more than my body did. The pain was unbearable.

xxx

(A/N) There's chapter 3. I bumped up the rating for the story due to this chapter and future ones to come. I should probably also add a secondary genre to this. How will things play out between Natsu and Lucy? Will Natsu be able to keep himself from being ridiculed? Find out in the next chapter.


	4. After School and the Next Day

Chapter 4: After School and the Next Day

(A/N) Wow, this story is becoming really popular. Thank you all for the favorites, follows, and reviews. It makes me so happy to know that my work is good enough for that. I didn't know what to expect with this one but I'm very grateful for all of the wonderful feedback. But please, don't be afraid to give constructive criticism! I know I'm not the best and would love to hear about things I could improve. So if you have any constructive criticism, please add it in your review or PM me about it.

Disclaimer: I only own the plot and any OC's that come in at any point in the story.

Xxx

_Natsu's perspective_

I groaned as the final bell rang, knowing that I was about to receive a stern talking-to from Mr. Conbolt. "Damn, way to mess this one up," I muttered to myself, huffing in annoyance. I walked into the chemistry room, bracing myself for the verbal assault I expected to receive.

"Hello, Natsu," Mr. Conbolt said in a tense voice. Whenever a teacher used that voice, you knew you were in trouble. If you didn't, you were really oblivious or really stupid. I may not have known much about people due to my background, but I picked up on it soon enough. I was quite a fast learner despite my dense nature. Once I learned something, it stayed with me pretty easily. "Sit," he said, motioning to a desk facing his. I did as instructed, not wanting to anger him further. "You know why you're here, don't you," he asked.

"Because I fell asleep in class," I said tonelessly.

"Right. You are well aware that sleeping in class is a bad idea, yes?"

"Yes, Mr. Conbolt."

"For this, you must be punished. You will clean and tidy up this room. You will not stop until the floor is clear of any and all materials and everything is put away. Then, if time allows, you will help me sort through papers. Do you understand?" He glared at me.

"Yes, sir," I replied. I waited for any further instruction. When I received none, I promptly began to work. Clearly, the day's last class had done a poster project because the tables and floor were messy with marker stains, glue, and tape. Luckily, there were very few items to put away. I grabbed a washcloth, wet it and put on a little soap, then began scrubbing the nearest table. I wrinkled my nose in displeasure as I was in no mood to do this. I didn't like the idea of sorting papers, but that was currently the lesser of the two evils.

After half an hour, I had finished cleaning the room to Mr. Conbolt's satisfaction and helped him sort papers for the last half hour of my detention. We talked idly for a little while after all the papers were sorted.

"Natsu, has something happened recently? You're not as upbeat as I've heard from your teachers from last year. They said you're always very upbeat, maybe even a little too much. You've been so quiet. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," I lied. "I'm okay!"

"Natsu," he said sternly. "Don't lie. I know something's wrong." His voice softened. "You can tell me."

I sighed in defeat. "It's that new girl, Lucy."

"Heartfilia?"

"Yeah."

"What about her?" Mr. Conbolt was looking at me curiously.

"I blew my chance at a friendship and now my reputation is going to be ruined." He nodded, gesturing for me to continue. Not wanting to say anything, I instead rolled up my sleeve, displaying my scars. "I have depression and I self-harm as a result. Soon everyone will know and soon I'm going to be even worse off than I am right now."

"Natsu…I'm sorry," he said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. Have a good night, Mr. Conbolt," I said bitterly as I grabbed my backpack and left.

That night, Lucy called me. "Natsu, we need to talk."

"About what," I scoffed. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Natsu, I really want to help you. Whatever problems you have, I want to help you face them. Don't shut me out. I'm not a bad person. I'm sorry I echoed Levy. Just give me a chance."

"No," I said forcefully. "You shouldn't associate with the likes of me. I'm not worth your time. Leave me alone, Lucy." I had trouble accepting this fact: I also mentally self-harmed. It was how I started. For as long as I could remember after being adopted by Igneel, my foster father, I always felt worthless and pathetic because I assumed that's how my parents viewed me. Even after I could read their letter, I had been down the inadvertent path of mental self-harm and it became a part of me before I even realized it. The physical self-harm came much later, as an angst-filled teenager. This was voluntary and I knew it was bad but I didn't care. The pain was soothing.

"You are worth my time," she pleaded. "You're a nice guy, you're sincere, you're interesting, you're kind, and you're pretty cute, if I do say so myself. You totally deserve my time and attention."

"Why do you care," I asked suspiciously, only slight fazed by her torrent of compliments. They were things I'd heard many times from many different people. I was desensitized to all of them as a result.

"Because I care about you. Any friend of Levy is a friend of mine," she said forcefully. "If she likes you, I don't see why I shouldn't. You've proved yourself to be a very nice guy."

"Just stop," I growled. I hung up. I knew I was screwed anyways. At that point, I didn't care what happened. I just wanted to get done with high school, go to a good college, become a pyrotechnics specialist, and live my life. For added surety, I shut my phone off before going to sleep.

_Lucy's perspective_

"Just stop," he growled. Then the line went dead. I lowered my phone and put it on my nightstand before began to sob quietly. I just wanted to help the guy and all he did was push me away.

"Why does he hate me so much," I moaned to myself as I cried. I ended up crying myself to sleep that night.

The next day was really rough. I saw Natsu in the hall before first period started and he immediately looked away from me.

"Hey, Pinkie," Gray called out to him, "I heard you got detention yesterday. What'd you do?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Ice Princess," he growled. "Leave me the fuck alone."

"Someone having a bad day," Gray simpered, laughing in the pink-haired boy's face.

"I said, leave me alone," Natsu growled, issuing an aggressive right hook to the face. Gray doubled over as the punch found its target but quickly rose again and they immediately began fighting. I watched in horror as they brutally beat each other to pulps until the principal herself arrived and separated them, issuing both of them a detention.

Natsu was a mess, worse than Gray. _You idiot,_ I thought bitterly. Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight. I didn't know why. I didn't like fights, obviously, but I felt like my tears had a deeper source than that.

When I saw Natsu in math that day, he looked even worse. His left eye was now swollen shut, he had bruises all over, and bandages covered him in many places. I was horrified at the sight. I was so upset that I spent lunch alone in a far-off corner of the cafeteria. "Why, Natsu," I moaned, crying as I ate.

"Why what," I heard a voice say. I looked up to see the pink-haired teen looking down at me.

"N-Natsu?"

"Yes," he asked impatiently.

"I just…I," I stammered. "I was just worried about you. You're such a mess right now."

"What don't I know," he growled. "Do you mind if I sit here? Ice Princess is being a jerk and if I hear anything more out of his mouth, I will end up getting myself suspended."

"Y-yeah," I said, "You can sit here." He plopped down across from me.

"I know what you're thinking," he said. "It's not as bad as it looks. I'm used to this kind of stuff. As Levy told you," he grimaced, obviously still very upset about my discovery, "I lived in the woods for a while. I had to fight off my fair share of animals looking to make me into a meal. I'm used to it. Don't worry about it."

"If you're sure," I said.

"Honestly, why are you so concerned about me," he asked, very frustrated.

"Because you're a kind person in need of help and I want to be the one to help you. And I…" His face contorted as he cut me off and I knew I had touched a nerve.

"Help," he spat. "Everyone thinks I need help. I'm not weak. I can manage."

"Will you stop being so stubborn for once," I screamed, tears brimming in my eyes. "Look at yourself! You're bandaged everywhere, you have a black eye, and you're all bruised. You're obviously depressed and hurting! I want to help you because…" I hesitated. My voice got low, "Because I love you."

"What," he hissed, leaning in closer.

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel. I am in love with you, dammit! I don't want to see you hurting yourself. Everything about your personality is so wonderful – your kindness, your sincerity, everything. I love you." I blushed, looking at the table.

_Natsu's perspective_

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel. I am in love with you, dammit! I don't want to see you hurting yourself. Everything about your personality is so wonderful – your kindness, your sincerity, everything. I love you." I stared at her when she had stopped talking. _Me? She loves ME?_

"Holy shit," I said, trailing off in shock. I was speechless.

"Yeah. That's right. I would do anything to make you happy, Natsu," she said. "That's all I want – to see you happy." The bell sounded, signaling that it was time to go to next period. We had math together.

"Lucy, I…" she cut me off.

"No, Natsu. Think about your feelings first. Then talk to me." She rushed ahead.

I knew right then and there that things were officially over.

xxx

(A/N) Cliffhanger time! *evil grin* What will happen? Are things really over between them or can Natsu and Lucy reconcile? Find out in the next (and most likely last chapter). Please review and tell me what you thought of this.


	5. Heartbreak and Heartwarming

Chapter 5: Heartbreak and Heartwarming

(A/N) This will most likely be the last chapter, unless I see fit to add another. Well here we go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail

xxx

_Lucy's perspective_

I saw Natsu as he walked into math (apparently, we had both doubled up on math classes), hot on my tail. I felt somewhat bad for leaving him like that but I was so overwhelmed by my own emotions that I had to leave. He looked so upset yet I couldn't go over to him. _Way to go, Lucy _my mind scolded. I couldn't look at him and I could barely pay attention in class. I could only think about him.

Levy talked to me at the end of the day. "Lu-chan, what's wrong," she asked sympathetically.

"I love Natsu but he hates me," I said sadly. "I just want to help him but he keeps pushing me away. I don't know what to do."

"Move on," she said softly. "There's nothing you can do for him anymore. If he's pushed you away, it's too late. You can't force him to accept your help." She hugged me sympathetically. I knew in my heart that she was right, that I had to move on, but my head refused to accept the truth. I still wanted to help him.

I began to cry as my emotions got the best of me. "I…can't," I managed between sobs. "I love him too much. I can't let him go."

"Yes you can," she said gently. "I know you can. You're strong, Lucy, much stronger than you think."

_Natsu's perspective_

I could barely make it through the rest of the day. I was taunted by more people than I could possibly count.

"Loser!"

"Emo!"

"Attention whore!"

"Liar!"

"Freak!"

"Go back to the woods, you monster!"

No one understood my pain. No one cared. It was exactly as I expected – my reputation had gone out the window in a single day. I was suddenly at the bottom of the social ladder and everyone jeered at me. I got pushed, shoved, tripped, and so many other bad things. I couldn't possibly fight back. I was too broken to hide anymore. I could only try to hide my tears but even that was impossible. Then my crying earned me more harassment.

"Crybaby!"

"Wimp!"

"Do us a favor and grow a pair!"

"Get over it, bitch!"

My life crumbled over the next few weeks. My grades dropped like rocks in water, my appetite decreased dramatically, I became horribly sleep deprived, and my overall health plummeted terribly quickly. My cutting got worse and so did the mental self-harm. _They're right,_ I thought bitterly. _I'm weak, worthless, and pathetic._ I couldn't even go a few hours without cutting, other than the few measly hours of sleep I got here and there. My cutting sessions became even longer and more violent, even to the point where I would re-open wounds that were barely a day old.

_Lucy's perspective_

I slowly got over my love of Natsu. I deleted his phone number, thought of him less and less, and did my best to continue on with my life as usual. However, I still worried about him all the time. He continually looked worse and worse but I didn't dare try to intervene again. All I could do was watch as he suffered.

One day, Natsu didn't show up. It was winter so I assumed he had a cold. A few more days passed. _He's probably still sick_, I thought. A week passed and Natsu wasn't at school. _What did he catch,_ I thought, beginning to get worried. Two weeks went by and still no one seemed to know anything about where Natsu was.

Three weeks had passed and then it was revealed. Natsu had been found dead by his foster father, Igneel, in their house. It was said that Natsu had committed suicide by bleeding out. They said he'd been found with cuts lining both arms and a knife in his stomach. I couldn't stop sobbing as I heard the news. My love was dead. There had been no suicide note but everyone knew why. The whole school's atmosphere changed. It was so somber and quiet as people realized what they had done. Most people felt terrible as they realized that his death was their fault; they realized that his blood was on their hands. The few that felt no sorrow or remorse were scorned silently. There was a funeral for him that just about everyone in the school attended. Everyone there, all people who felt sorrow, had nice things to say about the pink-haired boy, even Gray. Apparently, despite their rivalry, Natsu and Gray had been very good friends deep down and deeply cared for each other, as if they were brothers.

I tried not to less Natsu's death get to me too much but I couldn't. My mood was darker as I became depressed and lonely. I tried to fight the urge, but slowly began to self-harm myself. I was so lost, so depressed, and so confused without him. I found myself also rather angry at him for causing me this pain. I still loved him, despite moving on and getting over it. I couldn't hide the feelings for him as I ran a blade into my skin.

"Lu-chan," Levy said to me. "You have to get help. If Natsu loved you, do you think he'd want to see you like this?" Levy's words resounded powerfully in my head. I knew she was right. Natsu would hate seeing me like this, especially if he knew that my emotions were caused by him.

"You're right," I admitted. I ended up getting help for my self-harm then pushed myself to achieve even more highly. Our high school years passed and I ended up being valedictorian. I went on to a prestigious college and I am well-off to this day. I still think about Natsu and mourn sometimes. But I know that this wouldn't be happening if it weren't for him. I feel grateful for that, despite what he did to me. Now I know that however strange love can be, it can be very powerful and lead to great things.

xxx

(A/N) Well that's it for this Nalu fic. What did you think of it? Please review and tell me! I love feedback.


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